24-Year-Old In China Rescues Driver From Blazing Truck After Emotional Farewell To Mother

A 24-year-old man in China risked his life to save a stranger from a burning vehicle, pausing only to make what he feared might be his final phone call to his mother, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported. 

The man, identified in the report as Zhang Jian, is from eastern China's Shandong province. He was on his way home when he witnessed a heavy-duty truck engulfed in thick smoke and growing flames on a busy provincial highway. 

Also read | Scientists Stunned By Rapid Expansion Of Ash Layer Crawling Across Mars

As per the report, he saw a burning truck while passing through the Baotashan Tunnel. Two people were there at the crash site, one of them was seriously injured. Zhang stopped his car after deciding to help them. 

However, before plunging into the danger zone, he pulled out his phone and dialled his mother to tell her that he might not survive the rescue attempt. 

Also read | "Belligerent" Delta Passenger Arrested For Refusing To End Phone Call Before Take Off, Video Viral

"I am trapped in the Baotashan tunnel. If I do not call you in two hours, I might never leave this tunnel," he said as quoted. He also thought about his 15-month-old daughter. 

However, both the rescuer and the driver survived the ordeal. While the driver was treated for non-life-threatening burns and smoke inhalation, the young hero escaped with minor injuries and singed clothing.

"When I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, I thought to myself: ‘It is good to be alive,'" Zhang said.

The story has since gone viral on Chinese social media platforms, sparking a conversation. While many have hailed him as a "living saint," others were moved to tears by the reality of a son having to say goodbye to his mother to do what is right.